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Washington Sundar, the Indian spin-bowling all-rounder, expressed his excitement about returning to Test cricket after a game-changing seven-wicket haul in the first Test against New Zealand at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Stadium. He credited his strong performance in the Ranji Trophy for getting him into a great rhythm with both bat and ball.
There was a lot of discussion about his selection after Indian captain Rohit Sharma made three changes to the playing eleven for the Pune Test, bringing in pacer Akash Deep, a returning Shubman Gill, and Sundar, while leaving out Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Just days before the Pune Test, Sundar had scored an impressive 152 while batting at number three and took six wickets in his Ranji return against Delhi. Despite this, there were debates about his inclusion in the squad and playing eleven, with some cricket analysts and fans suggesting that Kuldeep Yadav should have been given a chance on a spin-friendly pitch, questioning Rohit’s decision to prioritize batting depth.
The all-rounder silenced any doubts with a brilliant bowling display. After Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the first three Kiwi wickets, Washington Sundar shifted the momentum in India's favor by quickly dismissing the in-form Rachin Ravindra and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. In the final session, the young all-rounder took control, running through the New Zealand lineup and securing a match-changing seven-wicket haul. This triggered a collapse that could significantly impact the outcome of the match in the coming days.
Speaking to BCCI, the youngster said that while he was playing white-ball cricket for India consistently, he was manifesting for his Test return since last two months or so.
"I believed I would be getting a call, no matter when. Whenever you get a call to join the Test squad, it is going to be special. When you think about something, wish for something and it happens, it is an unreal feeling. I am grateful to be able to experience those feelings and be back to the Test squad. A seven-for, very very special," he further added.
Washington said that his seven-wicket haul on return to Test cricket is one of those things he cannot explain in words and credited his Ranji return for helping him make a return in whites for India.
"I have played the Tamil Nadu-Delhi game. It went very well for me. It was a perfect set-up for me to get to this game. The confidence was high and I had hit my best rhythm with both bat and ball," he added.
Sundar made his Test debut in 2021 during India's tour of Australia and he was part of India's famous Gabba win. He also thanked Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir for giving him priority in the second Test.
"The Gabba Test would forever be special. No two ways about it. My debut game, won it. Will never forget this Pune Test either. I made my IPL debut here. Every game I play in this format is special. So to be back in the playing eleven straight away, I am grateful to the coach and captain for that," he concluded.
Coming back to the match, After opting to bat, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway's half-centuries helped New Zealand a huge platform before Washington's seven-fer triggered a collapse, taking NZ from 197/3 to 259 all out.
